Machine for sawing staves.



'No. 767,784. PATENTED AUG. 16, 1904. T. H. WEBSTER. MACHINE FOR SAWING STAVES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27, 1902. N0 MODEL.

4 SBEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED AUG. 16, 1904.

- T. H. WEBSTER. MACHINE FOR SAWING STAVES.

APPLIUAIION FILED FEB. 27, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

.No. 767,784. PATENTED AUG 16, 1904. T. H. WEBSTER.

MACHINE FOR SAWING STAVES.

APPLIGAT ION FILED FEB. 27, 1902. N0 MODEL. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

No. 767,784. PATENTED AUG. 16, 1904.

T. H. WEBSTER.

MACHINE FOR SAWING STAVES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27, 1902.

N0 MODEL. LSEBETS-SHEET 4.

UNITED STATES Patented August 16, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS H. WEBSTER, OF SOUTH HAVEN, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO HORACE J. PARKHILL AND JOHN E. PARKE, OF CHICAGO, ILLI- NOIS.

MACHINE FOR SAWING STAVES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 767,784, dated August 16, 1904:.

' Application filed Pebrnary27, 1902. Serial No. 95,879. (No model.)

To all whom, it warty cmwarn:

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. WEBSTER, a, citizen of the United States of America, and a Strives, of which the following is a specifica-.

tion.

My invention relates to a construction of stave-sawing machine involving a cylindric or drum-like saw and also involving a carriage for automatically presenting and Withdrawing the bolt or billet of wood, so as to saw the latter up into staves of the desired length and thickness.

Generally stated, it is the object of my invention to provide an improved and highlyefficient stave-sawing machine of the foregoing character.

A special object is to secure a more advantageous and a greater extent of adjustment on the part of the devices for carrying and presenting the bolt of wood to the saw and also of the means for gaging the thickness and character of the staves.

Another object is to provide an arrangement whereby the cylindric or drum-like saw may be tilted up or brought into position to aiford convenient and ready access to its teeth andto provide an arrangement whereby the carriage which supports the bolt or billet of wood in its back-and-forth motion relatively to the saw can be raised or tilted over to one side for the purpose of permitting access to be had to certain of the interiorly-arranged parts and devices. 7

A further object is to provide an improved arrangement of clutches and levers for controlling the movements of the carriage.

It is also an object to provide certain details and featuresof improvement tending to increase the general eflicieney of a machine of this character and to reduce the cost of staves.

To the foregoing and other useful ends my invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of a stave-sawing machine involving the from which the staves are to be sawed.

- or tilting bearing a principle of my invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views illustrating a form of stop device for limiting the backward movement of the carriage. Fig. 1 is a detail of the toggle-joint involved in the arrangement for automatically gripping or releasing the bolt or billet of wood Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of said machine. Fig. 7 is a transverse section on line 7 7 in Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a detail of the device for locking the convex supporting-table againstrelative movement. Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line-9 9 in Fig. 1. Fig. 10 is a plan of the foot-lever arrangement for controlling the movements of the carriage. Fig. 11 is a plan of the jaw which engages the rear end of the bolt or billet of wood. Fig. 12 is a detail of a part of the mechanism involved in the arrangement for stopping and starting and reversing theniotion of the carriage. Fig. 13 is a detail side elevation of the convex supporting-table, showing the cam arrangement for raising and lowering its forward end.

As thus illustrated, my machine for sawing staves comprises, preferably, a cylindric or drum-like saw A. This saw, it will be observed, is preferably provided at its forward edge With suitable teeth a and is horizontally disposed and supported for rotation about a horizontal axis. Preferably the toothed or forward end of the saw is open, as shown, While the rear end of this cylindric or drumlike saw is closed and keyed to the rotary shaft a. This shaft is preferably supported at its forward end in a suitable two-part bearing or box a and at its rear end in a pivoted WVith this arrangement it will be seen that the saw can be raised at its forward end and then tilted back about the pivotal point (0*. This permits ready and convenient access to the teeth of the saw. Any suitable means can be employed for rotating the saw as, for example, the belt or pulley wheel a, which can be keyed to the saw-shaft. It will also be observed that my improved machine involves a suitable frame able parts of the machine.

or body structure B, which is adapted to suitably support the various operative or mov- The saw thus provided is adapted to saw staves of any desired length, breadth, and thickness from a bolt or billet of wood, it being understood that such bolt or billet of wood is presented endwise to the saw and that the same is then moved along to enable the saw to cut off or sever a stave from the bottom. As a simple and efficient arrangement for thus alternately presenting the bolt and drawing it back I provide a supporting-table C, arranged with its forward end adjacent to the toothed end of the saw. This table, it will be observed, is preferably convex in cross-section and when arranged horizontally, as shown in the drawings, has its upper surface slightly below the upper edge of the saw. The bolt or billet of wood from which the staves are to be sawed is placed upon this table, and the ends of such bolt or billet are engaged by a pair of clamping-jaws on the traveling carriage D. This carriage is preferably arranged over the convex supporting-table and is preferably provided at one side with wheels (Z, adapted to travel along a way formed on the upper surface of the frame or body structure B. At the other side said carriage is preferably adapted to slide back and forth on the shaft or rail (1. I/Vith this arrangement the said carriage can be lifted up at the side provided with Wheels, said shaft or rail serving as a pivot or axis about which the carriage is free to tilt. In this way ready and convenient access can be had to the convex table and other interiorly-arranged parts of the machine. At the forward end said carriage is preferably provided with a spring-pressed jaw 03, adapted to engage the forward end of the bolt or billet of wood. Any suitable arrangement can be employed for giving this jaw yielding pressure on the forward end of the bolt as, for example, by interposing springs cl between the end of the carriage and the back of said jaw. At the rear of the carriage a similar jaw (Z is provided and adapted to engage the rear end of the belt of wood. This rear jaw is also preferably backed by springs (Z and in this way the slight variations in the. length of the bolt will not necessitate a readjustment of the jaws. Preferably this rear jaw is arranged for bodily movement relatively to the carriage and is controlled automatically in its movement, so as to automatically release the bolt and allow the latter to feed down when the carriage reaches the limit of its rearward stroke. Any suitable arrangement can be employed for thus operating the said rear jaw; but as a simple and efiieient arrangement I provide across-head (Z adapted to slide in ways on said carriage and connected with the rear end of the carriage by a toggle (T. The jaw proper (.Z" is preferably adjustable relatively to its backing cl. For example, the

ported by toggle connections and 0 springs (Z can be interposed between the back of such jaw and the forward end portions of the rods (Z These rods extend through the rear portion of the carriage and also through the sliding cross-head 4Z Set-screws cl are provided for looking or holding said rods against movement relatively to said crosshead. With this arrangement the said set screws can be loosened and the jawcan be adjusted forward in accordance with the length of the bolt of wood, and the distance between the jaw and the cross-head d can be maintained by tightening the screws, so as to hold the rods rigidly in place. It will be understood, however, that the springs (Z permit of more or less yielding on the part of the jaw and that consequently the said jaw is free to automatically adjust itself relatively to the cross-head d-that is to say, after the set-screws have been tightened and the rods clamped against movement relatively to said cross-head. The said toggle is preferably provided with a projection (Z adapted to engage a curved track or way (Z in the frame of the machine. This track or way is so shaped or formed that the toggle is automatically straightened when the carriage moves forward and is then automatically moved laterally when the carriage moves back from the saw. In this way the bolt or billet of wood can be placed upon the convex table between the two jaws, and when the machine is started the toggle arrangement .causes the rear jaw to move into engagement with the rear ,end of the bolt of wood. The toggle is straightened sufficiently to carry its joint slightly past the center, and in this way the wood is clamped firmly between the two jaws and carried forward to an extent to enable the saw to separate or cut off a stave from the bottom. When the machine is reversed and the carriage moves back, the track or way and the toggle cooperate in causing the rear jaw to release the billetof wood, and the latter then settles or feeds downward by gravity until it again rests upon the said convex table. At this juncture it will be understood that the stave which has been separatedor sawed from the bottom of the bolt is allowed to fall inside of the saw and to be carried away by any suitable conveying device.

For the purpose of varying the thickness of the staves the convex supporting-table C respectively, the rear and forward ends of said table. The end portions of these rods or shafts can be mounted in vertically-adjustable bearings c and 0 arranged at either side of the machine and mounted to slide in waysformed in the side portions of the frame or body structure. These bearings c and c are sup- These move and operate in unison;

. either side.

at one edge than at the other.

toggle connections have their upper ends secured to the said bearings and their lower ends pivotally secured to the frame or body structure. The joints of the toggles, it will be seen, are connected at each side by bars or rods 0. WVith this arrangement the toggles at each side are connected and arranged to Referring to Figs. 5 and 7 it will be seen that the rear toggles have their lower ends mounted upon a shaft 0 and that the lower member of the rear toggle at the front of'the machine is provided with an upwardly extending handle or lever 0 With thisarrangement it will be seen that the lever a can be employed for simultaneously raising and lowering the bearings c and 0 through the medium of the toggle connections, so as to simultaneously raise and lower the shafts 0 and c, and thereby bodily raise and lower the convex supporting-table. The table can be held at any clesired height by providing suitable means for locking the lever 0 against movement.

In order that one side or edge of the staves may be made thicker than the other edge, I provide a construction whereby the convex supporting-table can be adjustedbodily to With this arrangement the convex table can be adjusted concentrically with respect to the saw, and in such case the staves will be of uniform thickness at both sides or edges. By moving the table to one side or the other, however, it will be seen that the curvature of the table becomes more or less.

eccentric to the curvature of the saw and that consequently thestaves will be thicker This lateral or side adjusment of the table is preferably secured by threading a portion of the shaft 0, as shown in Fig. 7, and by providing this shaft with a rotary hand-wheel 0. By rotating this hand-wheel the threaded portion of the shaft will cause the table to move bodily to one side or the other, according to the direction in which the said wheel is rotated. When adjusted to its proper position, the table can be locked against further lateral movement by allowing the locking-bolt 0 to engage one of the sockets or recesses c, which are arranged in a circle on the stationary plate 0 Thus a part of the supporting structure by which the table is moved up and down is also employed for adjusting thetable laterally. Again, it is desirable to at times saw the staves in such manner that their ends will be of unequal thickness. For example, the forward end of'the sawed stave can be made thicker than its rear end by slightly lowering the forward end of the convex table. Any suitable arrangement can be employed for thus adjusting the forward end of the table up and down relatively to its rear end, it being observed that this is substantiallv a tilting adjustment on the part of said table. For example, the forward shaft which the shaft is rotated.

' 0', which supports the forward end of thesaid convex table, can be provided with cams 0 adapted to bear against the under side of said table. ,By rotating this shaft 0 said cams cause the forward end of the table to move up and down, according to the direction in As in the previous case, this shaft can be rotated by a suitable hand-wheel 0 and the latter can be locked against rotation by a locking device, such as the one shown in Fig. 8 Thus the rear horizontal shaftc can be rotated for the purpose of adjusting the convex table laterally, while the forward supporting-shaft 0" can be rotated for the purpose of raising and lowering the forward end of the table, or, in other words, tilting the latter. This tilting of the table, as stated, causes a variation in the thickness of the opposite ends of the staves. If the forward end of the table is lowered, the forward ends of the staves are thicker than their rear ends. If the forward end of the table is elevated somewhat, then the rear ends of the staves are thicker than the forward ends. In this way it will be seen that all possible adjustments are provided and that the arrangement and operation are such that staves of various shapes and thicknesses can be cut from the bottom of the bolt of wood.

As a simple and efficient method of carrying away the staves I provide a belt conveyer E, which is arranged to extend preferably from the rear end of the machine forward into the interior of the said saw. The said conveyer is operated in such manner that its upper leaf travels rearward, and in this way the staves are caught and carried out of the saw as fast as they are cut off or separated from the bottom of the bolt of wood. Various power-transmitting devices and arrangements can be employed for operating the traveling carriage; but as a matter of further and special improvement I provide a horizontally-disposed shaft F, supported in bearings carried at the upper ends of the arms f. These arms, it will be seen, have their lower ends secured to the back of the frame or body struc ture and extend upwardly to anextentto support the said shaft in a suitably-elevated position. Upon this shaft two pulley-wheels f and f are loosely mounted. A clutch device f 3 is provided and arranged to connect the said shaft with either of the said pulley-wheels. In this way the motion of the said shaft can be reversed at will. A couple of rope-drums f and f 5 are keyed to said shaft, preferably at opposite sides of one of the shaft-bearings. A rope or cablef has one end wound 'upon the drum f and has its otherend attached to the rear end of the carriage. Asimilar rope f has one end'wound upon the drum 3 and has its other end-secured to the forward end' of said carriage. In this way it will be seen that when the shaft is rotated in one way the three foot-levers I, J, and K.

carriage is made to travel forward, and a reverse motion of the shaft then causes the carriage to travel to the rear again. This reversing of the machine is accon'iplished, as stated, by means of the clutch device f, and in order that the reversal of motion may be automatic this clutch device is operated by a lever f, which engages a pin f" on the longitudinall y movable or shiftable bar f. The said carriage is provided with a projection or arm Gr, adapted to engage a stop f n on the forward portion of the said rod f The said projection G is also adapted to engage a stop H, located at the rear of said rod or bar f With this arrangement when a carriage moves forward to the limit of its forward stroke the projection G then strikes the stop f, and this moves the bar f to an extent sufiicient to throw the clutch f. The throwing of the clutch in this manner reverses the motion of the shaft F and causes the carriage to reverse its motion. When the carriage arrives at the limit of its rearward. stroke, the projection G comes in contact with the stop H, and the rod f is thereby moved or shifted in the opposite direction. This again shifts the clutch and causes the shaft to reverse its rotation and causes the carriage to move forward. In this way the carriage automatically reverses its movement and travels back and forth until the bolt or billet of wood has been sawed and reduced to staves.

As a simple and eflicient arrangement whereby the operator may start and stop the machine and reverse the movement I provide These levers, it will be observed, are hung transversely below the frame or body structure and are preferably bell-crank in form and pivoted upon the rod a, which is supported in bearings formed at the lower ends of the downwardlydepending arms i. Arranged at the back of the machine the pivoted shifter L has its upper end provided with a projection Z, adapted to engage a notch or fork on the shifting bar This shifter, it will be observed, is vertically disposed and is provided. at its lower end with laterally-extending arms Z and Z The arm Z is connected with the upper end of the bell-crank lover I by means of a rod Z. The arm Z is similarly connected with the upper end of the bell-crank foot-lever K by means of a rod Z". The bars Z and Z connect the bell-crank lever J with the outer ends of the arms Z and Z. It will be observed that the ends of these bars Z and Z are slotted and that in this way they have a shifting connection with the arms on the shifter L. With this arrangement the foot-lever 1 can be depressed, so as to turn the shifter L, and thereby cause the rod f to shift or move longi tudinally. The shifting of this rod f, as already explained, throws the clutch mechanism and either starts the machine or reverses the movement. In a similar way the shaft F can be rotated in an opposite direction by depressing the foot-lever K, so as to shift the rod f in a direction opposite to the direction in which it was shifted by the depression of the lever I. The lever J, together with the bars Z and Z, constitute an arrangement for centering the clutch mechanism, and thereby stopping the operation of the machine. For example, should the lever I be depressed so as to turn the shifter L to one side, then the condition of the clutch mechanism is such that the shaft F rotates in a certain direction. Should it be desired to stop such rotation, the operator can press the lever J, thereby causing the bar Z to pull the shifter L into its normal or central position. In a similar manner should the lever K be depressed then the clutch mechanism can be centered by depressing the foot-lever J so as to permit the bar Z to pull the shifter L back into its central and normal position. In other words, it will be seen that the slotted connection between the lever J and the shifter L is such that the latter can always be centered and brought into its normal position by the depression of the former.

As previously stated, the carriage travels back and forth and its projection Gr engages first one stop and then the other on the bar f so as to automatically reverse the motion.

When the valuable or desirable portion of the bolt or billet of wood has been reduced to staves, then itis desirable that the carriage be brought to a standstill at the end of its rearward stroke and that the remaining portion of the bolt or billet of wood be then automatically released. This is accomplished by mounting the stop H on a pivot h and by connecting this pivoted stop with a lever it. This lever, it will be seen, is pivoted at 72. and at its outer end is connected with the said stop by means of a rod 7?. The inner end of this lever it is preferably connected with the bell-crankleverJ Thus when .this lever J is depressed the lever 7b is tilted in such manner as to raise the top H from its resting place upon the shifting rod The upward movement of the said stop is suflicient to allow the projection G to pass under and to engage the stop M. Thus it will be seen that when the lever J is depressed so as to stop the machine the stop H is raised, and the carriage is thereby allowed a greater extent of rearward movement than during its operation. This extreme rearward movement on the part of the carriage is sufficient to carry the projection (Z on the toggle to a point in the track or way (Z that will cause the jaw (Z* to release the bolt and to move back to an extent to permit the latter to be readily removed. Ordinarily the carriage moves backward only to an extent to separate the jaws slightly, so as to permit the bolt to feed by gravity, and the jaws are then brought together and the bolt moved forward for the purpose of sawing off the next stave; but, as stated, when the desirable portion of the bolt has been sawed up then the carriage is given an additional rearward movement to an extent to cause the jaws to separate to a greater extent and su fiiciently to permit the operator to readily remove the residual or unclesirable portion of the bolt or billet of wood. Preferably the stop M is provided with a cushioning device m, consisting of a springbacked member adapted to be engaged by the projection G. The ropes f and f are preferably trained over sheaves f and f These sheaves, are preferably mounted on a removable arm or bracket f which is preferably secured in place to the arm or bracket f by means of pins or rods f \Vith this arrangement this sheave-carrying bracket or arm can be readily removed.

Any suitable arrangement can be employed for driving the conveyer-belt E. 'For example, the belt 0 can be employed as a powertransmitting connection between the pulley f and the rear shaft 6 of the belt conveyer, and with respect to the tilting of the saw to a vertical or upright position, so that it may be easily sharpened, repaired, or inspected, it is preferable to removably support the conveyer within the saw. In other words, the device for receiving and disposing of the staves is preferably so supported that it may be readily withdrawn when it is desired to tilt the saw to an upright position.

It will also be seen that the stops M and H are preferably mounted together and arranged adjustably upon the rod f It is also desirable that the stop f' be adjustable relatively to said rod or bar f Thus it will be seen that with the foregoing arrangement the staves can be of any thickness and, furthermore, that they can be thicker at one end or at one edge than at the other. The bolt or billet of wood is fed by gravity, it being automatically released each time the carriage reaches the limit of its rearward stroke. Furthermore, as explained, the jaws are automaticall y separated to a greater extent when the carriage is drawn back for the last time, so as to allow the operator to readily remove the undesirable remaining portion of the billet of wood. The system of levers and powertransmitting connections enables the operator to have perfect control of the machine. In addition to this the saw is mounted in a pivoted bearing, so that the toothed end of the saw can be raised and brought into position to be sharpened or repaired. The jaws backed by springs automatically adjust themselves to the bolts or billets, which vary slightly in length. In case of any great difference in i the bolts or billets of wood the rear jaw can be bodily'adjusted in its ways on the carriage. A further advantage consists in the arrangement whereby the carriage can be readily raised or tilted over to one side, so as to afford access to the convex table and other As explained, when the carriage 1s parts. disconnected from the power it is free to travel back to an extent to give the jaws their greatest extent of separation.

As the drum-saw A is adapted to be tilted to an upright position, it of course will be understood that the conveyer E is necessarily of such character as to be withdrawn from the saw. Thus it will be seen that I advantageously combine a tilting drum-saw with a conveyer for disposing of the staves, which conveyer can be withdrawn bodily from the saw. This bodily withdrawal of the conveyer can be accomplished in any suitable or desired manner. For example, the parallel and longitudinally-extending channel-irons E can be arranged to engage and slide on portions of the body-frame. In this way these channel-irons or parallel side portions of the conveyer structure as a whole can be slidingly mounted on the body-frame of the machine, and with this provision or any other suitable or equivalent adjustable connection between the conveyer and the body-frame the said conveyer can be bodily withdrawn from the saw when it is desired to tilt the latter to an upright position.

I claim as my invention 1. In a machine for sawing staves, the com bination of a cylindricor drum-like saw, a traveling carriage adapted to hold and carry the bolt or billet of wood, power-transmitting connections for causing the carriage to move back and forth, an automatic feed arrangement whereby said bolt or billet is automatically released and allowed to feed downward by gravity when the carriage reaches the limit of its rearward stroke, a table or rest adapted and arranged to gage or limit the downward feed of said bolt or billet, and adjusting devices for causing a bodily and lateral movement on the part of said table or rest.

2. In a machinefor sawing staves, the combination of a cylindric or drum-like saw, a traveling carriage adapted to hold and carry the bolt or billet of wood, power-transmitting connections for causing the carriage tomove back and forth, an automatic feed arrangement whereby said bolt or billet is automatically released and allowed to feed downward by gravity when the carriage reaches the limit of its rearward stroke, a convex table or rest adapted and arranged to gage or limit the downward feed of said bolt or billet, and adjusting mechanism for causing a bodily and lateral movement on the part of said convex table.

3. In a machine for sawing staves, the combination of a suitable saw, a carrying device for holding and carrying the bolt or billet of wood, power-transmitting connections for causing said carrying device to move back and forth, an automatic feed arrangement whereand allowed to feed downward by gravity when the carrying device reaches the limit of its rearward stroke, a gage for gaging or limiting the feed of said bolt or billet, and ad justing mechanism for moving said gage horizontally and transversely to the axis of said saw.

4. In a machine for sawing staves, the combination of an annular saw, a traveling carriage adapted to hold and carry the bolt or billet of wood, p0wer-transmitting connections for causing the said carriage to move back and forth, an automatic feed arrangement whereby said bolt or billet is automatically released and allowed to feed downward when the carriage reaches the end of its rearward stroke, a table or rest adapted and arranged to gage or limit the feed of said bolt or billet, and a rotatable threaded shaft for causing bodily and lateral horizontal movement on the part of said table or rest.

5. In a machine for sawingstaves, the combination of a cylindric or drum-like saw, a traveling carriage, jaws mounted upon said carriage and adapted to engage the opposite ends of the billet of wood, a toggle device and a curved way adapted to cooperate in separating the jaws when the carriage reaches the end of its rearward stroke, power-transmitting connections for causing the carriage to move back and forth, a clutch device for reversing the motion, a shifting or movable rod for throwing the clutch, a fixed stop on said rod for limiting the forward movement of said carriage, a movable stop mounted upon said rod for limiting the rearward movement of said carriage, said movable stop being adapted to withdraw and permit an extreme rearward movement on the part of the carriage, so as to cause the said toggle and curved way to produce a further separation of the jaws, and a third stop arranged outside of said movable stop and adapted to limit the extreme rearward movement of said carriage.

6. In a machine for sawing staves, the combination of a cylindric or drum-like saw, a traveling carriage swingingly secured at one side to a rail or rod and provided 'at its other side with wheels, a track or way upon which said wheels travel, jaws mounted upon said carriage and adapted to engage the opposite ends of the billet of wood, and power-transmitting connections for causing said carriage to travel back and forth.

7. In a machine for sawing staves, the combination of a cylindric or drum-like saw, a traveling carriage pivotally secured at one side and provided at the other side with wheels, a track or, way upon which said wheels travel, power-transmitting connections for causing said carriage to travel back and forth, and jaws mounted upon said carriage and adapted to engage the opposite ends of the bolt of wood.

8. In a machine for sawing staves, the combination of a cylindric or drum-like saw, a horizontally-traveling carriage provided with jaws adapted to clamp or hold the bolt of wood, a suitable frame or body structure, said carriage being swingingly supported at one side to said frame or body structure, the other side of said carriage being provided with wheels adapted to travel upon said frame or body structure,and power-transmitting connections for causing said carriage to move back and forth.

9. In a machine for sawing staves, the combination of acylindric or drum-like saw, a carriage adapted to hold and carry the bolt of wood, power-transmitting connections for causing said carriage to move back and forth,

an automatic feed arrangement whereby the bolt of wood is automatically released when the carriage reaches the end of its rearward stroke, a table or rest for gaging or limiting the downward gravity feed of said bolt of wood, a rod or rail upon which one side of said carriage is adapted to slide or travel, wheels mounted upon the other side of said carriage, and a track or way along which said wheels are adapted to travel.

10. In a machine for sawing staves, the combination of a suitable saw, a carriage for holding the belt of wood, said carriage being provided with forward and rear jaws, a sliding cross-head arranged in the rear of said rear jaw, springs interposed between said crosshead and said jaw, rods connected with said jaw and adapted to slide through openings in said cross-head, and means for clamping said rods against movement relatively to said crosshead.

11. In a machine for sawing staves, the combination of a cylindrie or drum-like saw, a traveling carriage for holding the bolt of wood, a table or rest for gaging the downward gravity feed of the bolt of wood, adjusting mechanism for causing said table or rest to move horizontally and laterally, adjusting mechanism for bodily raising and lowering the said table or rest, adjusting devices for raising and lowering the forward end of said table or rest relatively to its rear end, power-transmitting connections for causing said carriage to move back and forth, clutch mechanism for reversing the motion, and tripping mechanism whereby the movement of the carriage automatically throws the said clutch.

12. In a machine for sawing staves, the combination of a suitable saw, a carriage for holding the bolt, power-transmitting connections for causing said carriage to move back and forth, a table or rest for gaging or limiting the downward feed of said bolt, clutch mechanism for reversing the motion, two foot-levers connected and arranged to operate said clutch and reverse the movement, and a third footlever connected and arranged for centering said clutch, so as to stop the movement of the carriage.

13. In a machine for sawing staves, the combination of a suitable saw, a carriage for holding'the bolt, means for gaging or limiting the gravity feed of said bolt, power-transmitting connections for causing said carriage to move back and forth, clutch mechanism for reversing the movement, and three bell-crank foot-levers-connected and arranged for controlling said clutch mechanism.

14. In a machine for sawing staves, the combination of asuitable saw, a traveling carriage for holding the bolt, means for limiting the gravity feed of said bolt, power-transmitting connections for causing said carriage to move back and forth, clutch mechanism for reversing the motion, a movable stop for limiting the rearward movement of said carriage, two levers connected and arranged for throwing said clutch and reversing the movement of the carriage, and a third lever connected with said movable stop, whereby the latter is removed from the path of the carriage when the said third lever is depressed for the purpose of disconnecting the carriage from the power.

15. In a machine for sawing staves, the combination of a cylindric or drum-like saw, a carriage for holding the bolt, po wer-transmitting connections for moving the carriage back and forth, a table or rest for limiting the gravity feed of the bolt, a rotary threaded shaft for moving said table or rest laterally, so as to produce a stave thicker at one edge than the other. a hand-wheel for rotating said shaft, and a locking device for locking said hand-wheel against rotation.

16. In a machine for sawing staves, the combination of a cylindric or drum-like saw, a traveling carriage for holding the bolt, po wertransmitting connections for moving said carriage back and forth, clutch mechanism for automatically reversing the motion, a table or rest for gaging or limiting the gravity feed of said bolt, a cam device for raising or lowering the forward end of said table or rest relatively to its rear end, so as to produce a stave thicker at one end than at the other, ad= justing mechanism for moving said table or rest laterally, so as to produce a stave thicker at one edge than at the other,'and a hand-lever and toggle connections for raising and lowering said table or rest bodily, so as to vary the general thickness of the staves.

17. In amachine for sawing staves, the combination of a cylindricor drum-like saw,a horizontally-disposed shaft upon which saidsaw is mounted, a pivotal bearing for said shaft adapted to swing about its pivotal point, and thereby permitting the toothed end of the saw to be elevated, a travelingcarriage for holding the bolt, power-transmitting connections for causing said carriage to travel back and forth, a table or rest for gaging or limiting the gravity feed of said bolt, clutch mechanism for reversing the motion of the carriage, and adjusting mechanism for adjusting said table or rest both laterally and up and down.

18. In amachine for sawing staves, the combination of a cylindric or drum-like saw, a carriage for holding the bolt, jaws mounted upon said carriage and adapted to engage the opposite ends of said bolt, a toggle device and a curved groove or way adapted to cooperate in separating said jaws when the carriage reaches the end of its rearward stroke, power-transmitting connections for causing said carriage to travel back and forth, tripping mechanism and a clutch device for automatically reversing the movement of said carriage, a table or rest for gaging or limiting the gravity feed of the bolt, adjusting mechanism for adjusting the said table or rest laterally, so as to produce a stave having one edge thicker than the other, and adjusting mechanism for raising and lowering the forward end of said table or rest, so as to produce a stave thicker at one end than the other.

19. In a stave-sawing machine, the combination of the cylindric saw, the traveling carriage, the adjustable spring-pressed rear jaw for said carriage, the spring-pressed forward jaw for said carriage, the toggle device, the. curved way or groove for causing a bodily movement on the part of the rear jaw relatively to said carriage, the rope or cable arrangement for causing said carriage to travel back and forth, the pivoted bearing for the saw-shaft, the laterally and verticallyadjustable table or rest for limiting thegravity feed of the bolt of wood, and the three foot-levers connected and arranged for reversing and stopping the motion of said carriage.

20. In a machine for sawing staves, the combination ofa horizontally-disposed drum-saw mounted to be tilted to'a vertical position, the saw being supported at one end by a tilting member and at the other end by a stationary member, a traveling carriage adapted to-hold 1 and carry the billet of wood, and adapted to travel over the saw when the latter is in its normal or horizontal position, power-transmitting connections for causing said carriage to move back and forth. an automatic feed arrangement whereby said bolt or billet is an tomatically released and allowed to feed downward by gravity when the carriage reaches the end of its rearward stroke, a table or rest adapted and arranged to "gage or limit the downward feed of said bolt or billet, and a rotary shaft and a cam for raising and lowering the forward end of said table relatively to its rear'end.

21. In a machine for sawing staves, the combination of a suitable drum-saw adapted to be tilted to a vertical position, a traveling carriage adapted to hold and carry the bolt of wood, and adapted to travel 'over the said saw when the latter is in its normal or horizontal position, the mountings for the carriage permitting it to be lifted and swung upward, power-transmitting connections for causing the carriage to move back and forth, an auto matic feed arrangement whereby said bolt is automatically released and allowed to feed downward by gravity when the carriage reaches the end of its rearward stroke, a table or rest adapted and arranged to gage or limit the feed of said bolt of wood, a stave-carrier projecting within the saw and adapted to be withdrawn from the saw, and a hand-lever and toggle connections for bodily raising and lowering said table or rest.

22. In amachine for sawing staves, the combination of a suitable saw, a traveling carriage adapted to hold a bolt of wood, power-transmitting connections for causing said carriage to move back and forth, the mountings for the carriage permitting it to be lifted and swung upward, said carriage being provided with a pair of jaws adapted to engage the opposite ends of said bolt of wood, a toggle device and a curved way adapted and arranged to automatically separate said jaws and allow the bolt of wood to feed downward when the carriage reaches the rearward end of its stroke, a table or rest adapted and arranged to gage or limit the feed of said bolt, and a hand-lever and toggle connections for bodily raising and lowering said table or rest.

23. In a machine for sawing staves, the combination of a cylindric or drum-like saw, a traveling carriage adapted to hold and carry the bolt of wood, the mountings for the carriage permitting it to be lifted and swung upward, said carriage being provided with forward and rear jaws adapted to engage the opposite ends of said bolt, means for adjusting the said rear jaw, a toggle device and a curved way for antomatically withdrawing the rearjaw from engagement with the said bolt when the carriage reaches the end of its rearward stroke, a conveyer projecting within the saw and adapted to carry ofi the staves, and a table or rest for limiting the downward feed of said bolt.

24. In a machine for sawing staves, the combination of a cylindric or drum-like saw adapted to be tilted to a vertical position, a traveling carriage adapted to move back and forth above the saw when thelatter is in its normal or horizontal position, the mountings for the carriage permitting it to be lifted and swung upward, power-transmitting connection for causing said carriage to move back and forth, spring-pressed jaws mounted upon said carriage and adapted and arranged to engage the opposite ends of the bolt or billet of Wood, means for automatically operating the jaws and'allowing the said bolt to automatically feed downward by gravity when the carriage reaches the end of its rearward stroke, a stavecarrier projecting within the saw and adapted to be withdrawn from the saw, and a table or rest for gaging or limiting the feed of said bolt.

25. In a machine for sawing staves, the combination of a cylindric or drum-like saw adapted to be tilted to an upright position, a traveling carriageadapted to move back and forth when the saw is in its normal or horizontal position, power-transmitting connections for causing said carriage to travel back and forth, the mountings for the carriage permitting it to be lifted and swung upward, spring-pressed jaws mounted upon said carriage and adapted to engage the opposite ends of the bolt of wood, a toggle connection between the rear jaw and the rear end of the saidcarriage, a curved way adapted to engage a projection on said toggle connection, and said toggle and curved way being adapted to cooperate in separating the jaws when the carriage reaches the limit of its rearward movement, a stavecarrier projecting within the saw and adapted to be withdrawn from the saw, and an adjustable table or rest for gaging or limiting the downward or gravity feed of the said bolt of wood.

26. In amachine for sawing staves, the combination of a cylindric or drum-like saw adapted to be tilted to an upright position, a stavecarrier projecting within the saw and adapted to be withdrawn from the saw, a traveling carriage adapted to move back and forth when the saw is in its normal or horizontal position, the mountings for the carriage permitting it to be lifted and swung upward, jaws mounted upon said carriage and adapted to engage the opposite ends of the bolt of wood, a toggle device and a curved way adapted to cooperate in separating the jaws when the carriage reaches the end of its rearward stroke, I

and a movable stop for limiting the rearward movement of said carriage, said movable stop being adapted to be manually moved at will into the path of said carriage.

27 Ina machine for sawing staves, the combination of a cylindric or drum-like saw adapted to be tilted to an upright position, a stavecarrier projecting within the saw and adapted to be withdrawn from the saw, a traveling carriage adapted to move back and forth above the saw when the latter is in its normal or horizontal position, the mountings for the carriage permitting it to be lifted and swung upward, jaws mounted upon said carriage and adapted to engage the opposite ends of the bolt of wood, power-transmitting connection and clutch mechanism for controlling the movements of said carriage, a shifting-rod for controlling the clutch mechanism, stops rigidly secured to said rod to limit the movement of said carriage, and a movable stop arranged intermediate of said fixed stops, said movable stop being adapted to be manually moved at will into the path of said carriage.

28. In a machine for sawing staves, the combination of acylindric or drum-like saw adapted to be tilted to an upright position, a stavecarrier projecting within the saw adapted to be withdrawn from the saw, a traveling carriage adapted to hold and carry the bolt of wood, and adapted to travel above the saw when the latter is in its normal or horizontal position, the mountings for the carriage permitting it to be lifted and swung upward, a driven shaft provided with cable-drums, a pair of sheaves associated with said drums, cables or ropes wound uponv said drums and trained over said sheaves, the free ends of said cables or ropes being secured to the opposite ends of said carriage, and clutch mechanism for reversing the motion of said shaft, said cables or ropes being arranged to cross each other'at the point where they are trained around the sheaves.

29. In amachine for sawingstaves, the combination of a cylindric or drum-like saw adapted to be tilted to an upright position, a stavecarrier projecting within the saw and adapted to be Withdrawn from the saw, a traveling carriage adapted to hold and carry the bolt of wood and adapted to travel above the saw when the latter is in its normal or horizontal position, the mountings for the carriage permitting it to be lifted and swung upward, a driven shaft, two cable-drums mounted close together upon said shaft, a pair of sheaves associated with said drums, a rope or cable wound upon one of said drums and trained over one of said sheaves and having its free end secured to the rear end of said carriage, a second rope orcable Wound upon the other of said drums and trained over the other of said sheaves and having its free end secured to the forward end of said carriage, and a clutch mechanism for reversing the motion of said shaft.

30. In a machine for sawing staves, the combination of a cylindric or drum-like saw, a horizontal sh aft upon which said saw is mounted, a stationary two-part box or bearing for one end of said shaft, a pivoted support or bearing for the other end of said shaft, whereby the toothed end of said saw may be lifted and the shaft tilted, a stave-carrier projecting within the saw and adapted to be withdrawn therefrom, a traveling carriage adapted to hold the bolt of wood, the mountings for the carriage permitting it to be lifted and swung upward, and a table or rest for gaging the feed of said bolt.

31. In a machine for sawing staves, the combination of a cylindric or drum-like saw, a horizontally-disposed shaft upon which said saw is mounted, a suitable stationary twopart bearing for the end of the shaft adjacent the toothed end of the saw, a pivoted bearing for the outer end of said shaft, a stave-carrier projecting Within the saw and adapted to be withdrawn therefrom, and atraveling carriage for moving the bolt of wood toward and away from said saw, the mountings for the carriage permitting it to be lifted and swung upward.

32. In a machine for sawing staves, the combination of a cylindric or drum-like saw, a shaft upon which said saw is mounted, a suitable two-part stationary bearing for one end of said shaft, a pivoted support or bearing for the other end of said shaft, whereby the latter may be tilted, a stave-carrier projecting within the saw and adapted to be-withdrawn therefrom, a traveling carriage for holding the bolt of wood, the mountings for the carriage permitting it to be lifted and swung upward, power-transmitting connections for causing said carriage to move back and forth relatively to the saw, and a table or rest for gaging the downward or gravity feed of the bolt of wood.

33. In a machine for sawing staves, having a drum-saw mounted in a supporting-frame provided with a hinge-bearing upon which the saw may be tilted to an upright position, a traveling carriage adapted to hold the bolt or billet of wood and adapted to travel above the saw when the latter is in its normal or horizontal position, the mountings for the carriage permitting it to be lifted and swung upward, and a belt conveyer arranged in said drum-saw and supported on a sliding frame, whereby the conveyer may be withdrawn when it is desired to tilt the saw to an upright position.

34. In amachine for sawing staves, the combination of a drum-saw, the main supportingframe, the hinge-bearing frame having a shaftbearing therein whereby the drum-saw may be tilted to an inclinedor upright position, a traveling carriage adapted to hold the bolt or billet of wood and adapted to travel above the saw when the latter is in its normal or horizontal position, the mountings for the carriage permitting it to be lifted and swung upward, and means supported within the saw Y bination of a drum-saw adapted to be tilted to an upright position, a traveling carriage adapted to hold a bolt or billet of wood, means normally supported within the saw for receiving and disposing of the staves, and a body-frame upon which said means are supported for bodily-sliding movement, wherebythe said means may be readily withdrawn when it is desired to tilt the saw to anupright position.

Signed by me at Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, this 22d day of February, 1902.

THOMAS IVEBSTER.

Witnesses:

HARRY G. ADAMS, ARTHUR F, DURAND. 

